Pilot of small transport allegedly unable to contact FSS to advise arrival for customs at cxl.

Attributes
ACN	130598
Time
Date	198912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cxl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	130598
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During letdown phase toward mexicali from the south, pilot workload got demanding for several reasons: we were encountering moderate turbulence. We were unable to contact san FSS for notification and flight plans. We searched for other frequencys and finally were able to raise tus FSS--but was very weak and broken up. Had to re-transmit several times to verify xmissions. Mazatlan center changed assigned descent altitudes 3 times during letdown, and issued 2 separate traffic advisories. Passenger were asking several questions re: the stopping to clear mexican territory and how long a flight home, etc. By the time I was free to continue communicating with tus FSS, I was unable to re-establish contact and was close to the landing phase. All in all, workload was at a peak and communication with FSS was very poor. Consequently, flight plan and notification of arrival in us was not verified.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT ALLEGEDLY UNABLE TO CONTACT FSS TO ADVISE ARR FOR CUSTOMS AT CXL.

Narrative: DURING LETDOWN PHASE TOWARD MEXICALI FROM THE S, PLT WORKLOAD GOT DEMANDING FOR SEVERAL REASONS: WE WERE ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB. WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT SAN FSS FOR NOTIFICATION AND FLT PLANS. WE SEARCHED FOR OTHER FREQS AND FINALLY WERE ABLE TO RAISE TUS FSS--BUT WAS VERY WEAK AND BROKEN UP. HAD TO RE-XMIT SEVERAL TIMES TO VERIFY XMISSIONS. MAZATLAN CENTER CHANGED ASSIGNED DSCNT ALTS 3 TIMES DURING LETDOWN, AND ISSUED 2 SEPARATE TFC ADVISORIES. PAX WERE ASKING SEVERAL QUESTIONS RE: THE STOPPING TO CLR MEXICAN TERRITORY AND HOW LONG A FLT HOME, ETC. BY THE TIME I WAS FREE TO CONTINUE COMMUNICATING WITH TUS FSS, I WAS UNABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT AND WAS CLOSE TO THE LNDG PHASE. ALL IN ALL, WORKLOAD WAS AT A PEAK AND COM WITH FSS WAS VERY POOR. CONSEQUENTLY, FLT PLAN AND NOTIFICATION OF ARR IN U.S. WAS NOT VERIFIED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.